How Much Do We Want It?
Feb 26th, 2019 by 'holic
Eleven matches to go. March is around the corner. We have at least fourth place in our own hands. How much do we want it? Bournemouth at home on a clement Wednesday evening. They will be no walkover, for certain, but bearing in mind our next two Premier League opponents this is not a test we need to fail.
It is time to remind ourselves that one of the reasons for us being fourth was the 4-0 hiding handed out by the Cherries to Chelsea at the end of last month. They have struggled since that, however, beaten at Cardiff and Liverpool and being held at home by Wolves (who wasn’t?). They sit comfortably in tenth place free from the fear of relegation for another season. Howe do they do it?
The visitors are probably the only Premier team to have suffered more injuries than us this season. We will assess Alex Iwobi and Stephan Lichsteiner ahead of the match. Ainsley Maitland-Niles is back in full training but the back four that finished against Southampton, with Shkodran Mustafi at right-back, could be worth a further look from the start.
Ahead of them it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Matteo Guendouzi start alongside Lucas Torreira with Granit Xhaka getting a rest before the Saturday trip to Middlesex. Mesut Ozil is more likely to start this one than on Saturday and if Alex Iwobi still has an ankle problem Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang will be a likelier replacement than Denis Suarez.
We saw on Sunday for 45 minutes what Unai Emery’s Arsenal are capable of. Can we produce it for longer on Wednesday night? We may need to in order to complete the double over opponents we beat 2-1 in the reverse fixture with an Aubameyang winner.
The ‘holic pound
I have to believe we have another half decent performance in us although I do expect Bournemouth to make us work hard for it in the opening hour or so. I think we have enough quality on the bench to introduce a game changer or two from the bench against tiring battlers. I’m having the best of 11/1 against a 3-1 home win.
Thanks to all who have kept in touch about my health. The new antibiotics certainly gave me a better day today but obviously I still won’t make the game. I’ve been told to expect to miss an Arsenal three weeks, so I may make the last home game of the season!
Have a good one, ‘holics.
40 Responses to “How Much Do We Want It?”
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Evening H
An Arsenal 3 weeks, ???
Forget about the last home game this season,more likely pre season warm up comp early August. !!
As for the seaside visitors,with the injury list they have,i will be very surprised if we don’t pick up the 3pts.
Expect a few changes to the side,with a massive game Saturday lunchtime against our neighbors to come.
Cheers H! All the best mate. Hope to see you, not gone in the fetlock, soon.
A grand preview as ever , one to whet the appetite and make one realise the opportunity that this side has to reclaim our rightful place in the Champions League and that is without us winning the Europa League.
Both look a stretch but Arsenal have tended to be good finishers of the season and the fixture list looks friendlier than those of our rivals. I still have a feeling we may even see St. Totteringham weave his friendly way into the Emirates but maybe I’m over optimistic there.
Whatever we should win tomorrow. We beat them away and they are suffering with injuries in a bad way. I fancy us to win 2-0 with our new defensive solidity making it three clean sheets in a row. Lacazette and Aubameyang to do the necessary
The spirit of St Totteringham is stirring. We can feel it. Believe.
Esso. Utd may be too early. Aiming for Palace and Brighton. Would be great to see you.
Interesting to read of Rodgers appt as new Leicester manager,and among the snippets was that our excellent retired Gooner Kolo Toure who was among his backroom staff at Celtic, [ who knew, ] will be following him to his new home in the Midlands.
Funny old world.
Clive, word is their young left-back, Tierney, rebuffed us to stay with Brendan.
We’ll be back in, but so will Brendan, so he can make a massive profit on Chilwell, who is the current Emperor’s magic clothes.
Fine preview Guvna. I’m looking forward to attending my first game in a while and seeing how Emery-ball is coming along. Hopefully we will follow your advice and play to a decent standard for more than 45 minutes though 45 minutes is itself significant progress on recent performances.
Talking of progress, I hope you yourself are making excellent progress and will be ripping up trees again before too long.
Don’t rush the convalescence, ‘Holic. But good to hear you are making progress.
3pts anyhoo is what the doctor orders for the Bournemouth game.
For Esso from the previous drinks: https://youtu.be/6kLhZTP4ywY
Thanks Guvnor, as you say big
games coming, nice to have
something to play for.
No idea who will play tonight,
there were 6 changes after Bate
and I’m expecting a few tonight.
I hope it’s not Mus at RB.
3-0 with another clean sheet works
just fine for me.
I was surprised to read this is our
best points total after 27 games for
the last 5 seasons.
Though we’ve had a couple of strong
finishes to the season in those years
so let’s see.
Really would love to see the clean sheet trifecta come in. COYG
If I leave the stadium tonight having seen a 3-1 home win, I think I’ll be rather happy. Here’s to your good health and the Holic pound.
2-1 looks a fair bet considering we are at home and the cherries will not sit back completely. A win is all that matters and even if its a dull 1-0 to the Arsenal, suits us just fine. Lacazette to score again is a given, now can we have Xhaka having another top performance considering he literally dictates our play.
The spirit of St Totteringham is stirring.
It’s just that steak and kidney pie you had earlier. It’s funny to see Pochettino implode though, and Klopp’s gone all Kevin Keegan in recent weeks as well.
Good to hear you’re feeling a little bit better.
According to Senor Pochettino, it may take spuds another ten years before they win the league, he’s frustrated by their lack of a winning mentality.
Sounds like the start of a well thought out exit strategy to me!
Agree with your Ken Bailey-esque 2-0. Hope your progress back to full health continues apace, ‘holic.
GH, I am very glad to hear you are making positive steps in your recovery, and hope you will be well enough to watch the games from behind the couch soon. This watching from on the couch itself could get a bit nervy in the next few weeks. 😉
Nice one, Holic,
Keep taking the horse placenta and be well again soon !
I know it’s Bournemouth tonight and we’re only supposed to take all this stuff one game at a time but, it seems Man Utd May be literally running into trouble 10 days before we play them, with Solskjaer admitting his higher intensity style of play could be responsible for their current injury situation.
Their current list includes Lingard, Mata, Matic, Herrera, Martial, Valencia, Darnian and Rashford and a couple of lesser known players.
Good news is that Solskjaer says he will not change and playermust realise what the physical demands are.
The same thing happened to Liverpool when Klopp arrived and demanded more pressing, more intensity and more sprints from a squad that had not trained to be able to do that.
Hopefully Ole’s intransigence will see them arrive at the Emirates next weekend with the likes of Jimmy Garner – whooo? – in their ranks, alongside Tahith Chong, predictably nicknamed by Solskjaer as “Chongy”.
I’m sure he’s delighted.
What happened to Lichsteiner and I thought AMN was training. Given the number of matches we have to play over the next ten days, some rotation is justified.
Arsenal: Leno, Jenkinson, Sokratis, Koscielny, Monreal, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Torreira, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Aubameyang
Subs: Cech, Mustafi, Elneny, Iwobi, Suarez, Ramsey, Lacazette
Get in, Ozil!!!!
2-0. Oil makes one for Mkhitaryan.
Stupid defending by Guendouzi and it is 2-1.
ksn, i’d put that one on leno. not the ball to pick, put g in a bad spot.
Arsenal at the receiving end of both refs and commentators.
3-1. Kos scores.
Kos calming the nerves !!
Mine that is.
Auba finally scores one. 4-1.
Let’s stuff them, cannot comment am watching the game on the phone
I thought I was the only one around, OM. Chelsea-Torts still 0-0.
I was a bit sleepy 1st half ksn
🙂
Good to see Auba back on the
scoresheet.
Laca scores a great free kick 5-1.
Hi OM and G_KS. Chelsea have scored.
Don’t know how you manage to see any of the late night matches, OM, if you are in Osaka.
First 5 of the season I think.
Different scorers too
It’s a damn sight easier to get up
and stay awake when we score 5!!
Fucking King stood on Kos.
Come on Palace, get that equaliser!
Relief to see Kos limping back, thankfully nothing serious.
3 points gained. Job done. Enjoyable game. Good night all.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
City ahead with a gifted pen
Come on Palace, make our night